Rafael Nadal is the current player who inspires me the most - Barbora Krejcikova
Barbora Krejcikova recently engaged with her fans in a casual Q&A session online. In the session, the Czech player named Rafael Nadal as the player across the men's and women's tours as the player who inspires her the most.
Krejcikova has been one of the few players to have consistently good returns in both the singles and doubles disciplines on the WTA tour. The 2021 French Open champion reached as high as No. 2 in singles.
Krejcikova's partnership with Katerina Siniakova has been one of the most successful ones on the WTA tour in doubles. The duo have won 7 Grand Slam titles and also secured a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics for their country.
In a recent Q&A session on Instagram, a fan addressed the player with a question regarding which player in the current era across men's and women's tennis inspired the Czech the most.
"Which player (Male/Female) inspires you the most"? asked a fan on Instagram.
In reply, Krejcikova said at the moment Rafael Nadal was the player who inspired her the most.
"Currently, I would say Rafael Nadal," replied Krejcikova.
Both Krejcikova and Nadal are battling injuries before the Madrid Open
Krejcikova made a second-week run at the Australian Open by making it to the quarterfinals in both the singles and doubles. However, a back injury has hindered the progress of the Czech in the season as it has forced her to withdraw from some tournaments such as the Qatar Open and Miami Open.
Krejcikova is listed as the 23rd seed in the entry list of the Madrid Open 2024. The Czech has not progressed beyond the fourth round in this tournament. However, she won the doubles title with her compatriot Katerina Siniakova in 2021.
Nadal has recently come back on the ATP tour after battling wrist and abdominal injuries. The Spanish legend has said that the 2024 season is going to be his swansong in men's tennis.
Nadal will be playing at the Madrid Open via his protected ranking. The Spanish player on his comeback at the Barcelona Open lost to Alex de Minaur in the second round.
Nadal has an exemplary record at the Madrid Open. The Spaniard has won 5 titles in the Spanish capital, with the last title being in 2017 where he defeated Dominic Thiem in the final.
Nadal has an 83% win ratio at the Madrid Open and an overall win ratio of over 90% on clay across his playing career.